Overview
- The claim began on January 24 with a Facebook post by Christopher Archer sharing a supposed Google Earth screenshot that depicted a snake-like form off Virginia.
- KnowYourMeme documents the image as altered and has published an updated guide explaining the hoax and its rapid spread.
- Posts and reposts drew large engagement across Facebook, X and Threads, where the discourse shifted largely to memes and mockery.
- Some users asserted the U.S. engineered snowfall to freeze a mythic sea creature, a narrative that circulated as the storm caused deaths, power outages and travel disruption.
- Debunkers, including YouTuber Tai Jackson, say the visuals reflect mapping artifacts or tectonic features such as a plate boundary, not a living creature.